Swim Meets

At Burlingame Aquatic Club, swim meets are our way of teaching sportsmanship, team spirit, positive attitudes and goal-setting. We expect our members to observe the Meet Schedule and enter all meets offered at their level. Many meets are open to all swimmers, whether or not they have competed before. Championship Meets like Junior Olympics or Far Westerns are important BAC team focus meets, and swimmers who qualify must attend and contribute to the total team effort.

How to Enter Meets

Meet information comes in Meet Sheets from Pacific Swimming. Read all information carefully and follow the entry instructions. Most meets will fill up and close before the entry deadline, so don’t wait until the last minute. As soon as a link to the meet sheet is posted, you will be informed through email.

For most meets, Pacific Swimming uses a portal called Swim Connection. Through the link provided by the coaches, you can use Swim Connection to enter your swimmer into most meets, with a small processing fee.

You may enter every event for which you meet the minimum or maximum time standard listed on the meet sheet. If you have questions about which events to enter, consult with your coach.

Registration

Each BAC swimmer is given a registration card with their USS registration number. It is a 14 character, alphanumeric sequence composed of swimmer-specific information as shown in the example below:

Example:

USS number 042496JOSBSWIM
Six digit birthdate, including zeroes 042496
First three letter of first name (Joseph) JOS
Middle initial or ‘*’ if no middle name (B.) B
First four letters of last name (Swimmer) SWIM

Swim Meet Guidelines

Swimmers must participate in warm-ups on swim meet days. Warm-up times for the meet are listed on the meet sheet, and often in emails. Please be on time.

Please note that the coaches of BAC feel very strongly about the necessity of a good team warm-up at all swim meets. When you come to the meet late, it puts stress on staff and other swimmers. Coaches find themselves spread too thin, running individual warm-ups for the late-comers, and starts and pacing for the kids who started on time. To avoid this:

1. Check in and write your event numbers on your hand.
2. Report to coach for stretching and warm up.
3. Check the posted line-up for your heat and lane.
4. Tell your coach your heat & lane so they can watch you swim.
4. Report to your lane with plenty of time to get focused.
5. Ask for your time immediately after your race. Keep a record of your times from each meet.
6. See your coach after each race. The coach will evaluate your race and offer suggestions.

What to Bring to a Meet

Team swim suit

Water bottle

Team caps (2)

Waterproof sunscreen, sunglasses

Goggles (and a spare pair)

Log book for recording times

Towels (one per event )

Ice chest with nutritious snacks

Team t-shirt, sweats or parka

Beach chair

Boots or shoes

Games or books

Old blanket or sleeping bag

Music

Swim Meet Do's and Don'ts

DO conserve your energy. Stay off your legs (save them for the pool); wear shoes for warmth and protection; wear shirt and hat to reduce exposure; stay out of the sun.

DO be on time (or early) for everything including: stretching, meet warm-up, and team meetings.

DO cheer for your teammates. Everyone performs better when they see supporters at the end of their lane.

DON’T become dehydrated. Drink plenty of water or other liquids (but not soda).